The bellflower (Campanula) with its delicate, mostly blue or purple calyxes grows in many gardens. Depending on the variety, it forms dense carpets of flowers and delights the viewer with its joy of blooming between June and August. As popular as the flower is, experts disagree about its toxicity.
Is the bellflower poisonous?
The bellflower (Campanula) is considered to be probably non-poisonous, but the toxicity of many species has not yet been confirmed or refuted. Therefore, as a precaution, you should not eat any parts of the bellflower and avoid symptoms of poisoning such as nausea.
Bluebell probably not poisonous
As much as the representatives of the “Bluebells are poisonous!” faction claim it in various internet forums, scientific evidence for this claim has not yet been provided. In fact, the bellflower is not found in a single list of poisonous plants, and at least the Rapunzel bellflower was (and sometimes still is) cultivated for its fleshy, nutritious roots. Incidentally, the same plant gave the girl “Rapunzel” her name in the fairy tale of the same name. However, since the toxicity of many other species has not yet been confirmed or refuted, the principle of caution applies until then: Ergo, you (or your children or animals) should not eat any parts of the bellflower, even if you most likely have no symptoms of poisoning other than nausea or similar will notice.
Many legends and myths about the bellflower
The bellflower probably owes the rumor of its toxicity to the numerous myths and fairy tales that refer to the delicate flower - these are not always interpreted positively for people. If you have a little daughter and, like so many little girls, she loves fairy stories, take a closer look at the illustrations in the corresponding books. There the fairies are often depicted with the blossom of a bellflower as a headdress. These depictions are in no way due to the creativity of modern children's book illustrators, but instead to centuries-old myths. Bluebells have always been considered the flowers of the fairies and are said to summon them to their gatherings.
Tips & Tricks
A very old story from England reports that a person who finds themselves - even unintentionally - within a ring of bluebells, exposes themselves to the fairies' judgment of life and death.